Fire hose nozzle



July 31, 1962 a. J. sAcco FIRE HOSE NOZZLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1962 INVENTOR. $50265 J.Sacco.

July 31,- 1962 G. J. SACCO 3,047,238

FIRE HOSE NOZZLE Filed Jan. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o a: m

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United States Patent M 3,047,238 FIRE HOSE NOZZLE George J. Sacco, 311 Orchard Drive, OHara Township, Allegheny County, Pa. Filed Jan. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 166,652 Claims. (Cl. 239-275) This invention relates to hose nozzles of the type employed to extinguish fires and, more particularly, for providing a solid wall or curtain of water to prevent the spreading of flame, sparks, and burning gases into surrounding areas.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a nozzle for this purpose in which the water is spread out in a semi-circular fan or halfmoon form from a vertical slot in one half of a tubular body, which slot may be quickly and easily varied in etfective outflow area by an operator during use at a conflagration to obtain the desired flow pattern, while the nozzle is set down or dragged at will into position in an area by a flremans hook and left to rest, leaving the operator or attendant free to leave the area and engage in other salvage efforts, without tilting or upsetting of the nozzle due to whipping of the nozzle while at rest as a result of the thrust exerted on the nozzle during its diversion of Water therein to flow out through the vertical slot from the lower half of the tube through which the water is supplied to the slot.

Other aims, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the following description and illustration of one form which the invention may assume by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of the discharge end of the nozzle left to rest in position on an area to establish a solid curtain or wall of water in the path of flame to be arrested;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, my improved fire hose nozzle comprises a tubular body having an internally threaded inlet extremity 11 for attachment of a hose coupling 12 comprising an inner pipe attaching ring 13, packing 14, and an outer hose attaching collar 15. The outlet extremity 16 of the nozzle is provided with a spreader plate 17, a vertical slot 18, a semi-circular portion 19 under the slot 18 which portion extends the lower half 20 of the circumferential or perimetrical wall of the tubular body 10 to the spreader plate 17. The outlet extremity 16 of the nozzle is also provided with a collar 21 screw threaded on the exterior surface of the tubular body 10 to move across the slot 18 toward and from the spreader plate 17, for shutting 011 the outflow of Water from the nozzle completely and for adjusting the flow area of the slots to vary it as necessary for regulating the water flow in correspondence with variations in pressure and volume of the source of water. The nozzle is also provided with a base member 22 with eyelets 23 to be grasped by a flremans hook to pull or drag the nozzle into position in an area in which it is to be left for establishing a solid wall or curtain of water in the path of flame while the attendant leaves the area to attend to other emergency or salvage duties.

With prior art nozzles of this type, the unit generally must be held in hand by the attendant, without leaving the area, in order to maintain the nozzle in position to continue the established fire extinguisher water wall, because the thrust of the water on the tubular body and spreader plate in the part of the nozzle, such as the part 18, where the water is arrested to abruptly turn or be diverted to pass out through the slot, such as the slot 18, causes the nozzle to whip around and eventually tilt or turn over so as to thus fail in the immediate emergency.

3,047,238 Patented July 31, 1962 These prior art nozzles also have the upper terminal extremities 24 of the lower semi-circular portion, like the part 19 on the drawing, in the form of an angle to the horizontal axis of the tubular body to provide a V-shaped curtain or wall which is insuflicient in horizontal area to retard or extinguish flame, sparks and gases in surrounding areas about to be raised to their ignition point.

In accordance with the present operation, the nozzle is provided with a base member which minimizes and prevents such whipping action, and the portion 19 is of a form to provide a full halfmoon or semi-circular curtain of water, which permits the nozzle to be left to rest and maintain a full halfmoon wall of spread water, without danger of tilting over in a localized area in which it is set up, while the attendant moves on to take care of other conditions also requiring his immediate presence.

To this end, a base member 22 is provided having a vertical part 25 disposed along the side 26 of the plate 17 opposite the side 27 to which the semi-circular member 19 extends, and a horizontal bottom part 28 which extends back under the member 19 and the collar 21 in such a spaced relation to the latter that the attendant may readily turn the collar by hand to adjust it over the slot 18. The base member 22 is removably secured by screws 29 to the spreader plate 17 so as to be entirely below the collar 21, thus transmitting the water thrust to ground in the form of any area to which the nozzle may have been set or dragged. This base member 22 also projects laterally beyond the lateral extremities of the plate 18, which plate 18 also extends beyond all the extremities of the collar 21 and tubular body 10, sothat the thrusts are distributed to ground thereby eliminating any whipping of the nozzle in the absence of an attendant to hold it in its set position. The plane surfaces 24 parallel with the horizontal axis 30 of the tubular body'ltl at the level of the latter, ensures the fan out of water in the form of a full halfmoon or semi-circular fan wall, solid with water.

To facilitate the diversion of water from the lower half of the tubular body 10 to the vertical slot 18, 'a curved deflecting portion 31 is provided extending from the inner periphery of the body 10, at a region 32 in advance of the slot 18 to a region 33, closer to the longitudinal axis 34 of the tubular member 10, where the water leaves the tubular body 10 to pass upwardly out through the slot 18.

In operation, my improved nozzle is manually positioned in an area where a curtain wall of water is to be established, either by hand or by inserting a hook in an eyelet 29. The collar 21 is turned to adjust the open ing of the slot 18. Each turn of the collar on the screw threads results in the delivery of 40 gallons of water at a pressure of 50 pounds per square inch which is delivered from the slot 18 by the spreader plate 17 as a solid wall of water in the form of a halfmoon. The water can be readily shut off in the slot 18 by turning the collar 21 up until it reaches and touches the plate 17. The curved member 31 diverts the water flow up to the slot 18. The tubular extension member 19 prevents any loss of water through the lower semi-circular area 19 between the end of the lower half of the tubular body 10 and the plate 17. A full halfmoon wall of water results from the horizontal terminal planes 24 at the horizontal axis level 30. All water thrusts are well distributed to ground through the base member 22, so that at all times there is no Whipping, tilting, or upsetting of the nozzle during water outflow when left to rest by an attendant.

The spreader plate 17 is removably secured by screw bolts 35 to the semi-circular member 19. However, the member 19 might well be cast integral with the plate 17 in lieu of having this member constituted of a residue of the cut off portion 18 of the tubular body 10.

The invention as hereinbefore set forth is embodied in a particular form and manner but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A manually portable whip-free fire hose nozzle adapted to be set and left to rest at will in different stationary areas, whereby a solid curtain of water can be established in the path of flame and burning gases, to prevent spreading of flame, sparks, and ignition heat to surrounding areas comprising, in combination: a tubular body having a spreader plate disposed transversely across all of one extremity of the tubular body and extending beyond the perimeter of the body; an outwardly open vertical slot between the spreader plate and the adjacent end of the upper half of the circumferential wall of the tubular body; a semi-circumferential portion extending the lower half of the circumferential Wall of the tubular body outwardly under the slot to the spreader plate, to divert the flow of liquid from the lower half of the end of the body and the spreader plate upwardly out through the slot; flow controlling means in adjustable relation with said tubular body for adjustment of the flow controlling means across the vertical slot, toward and from the spreader plate, to increase and decrease the flow of water out of said slot; and a base member for supporting the nozzle in a state of rest, at different stationary areas at will, said base member comprising a vertical part disposed across the bottom of the spreader plate, below the flow controlling means on the tubular body, and on the side of the spreader plate opposite the side to which the semi-circumferential member extends, and a horizontal part extending under the bottom of the spreader plate and back under the flow controlling means on the tubular conduit, at a spaced distance therefrom, to permit rotation of the flow controlling means by hand, said vertical and horizontal parts of the base member projecting beyond the lateral extremities of the spreader plate and fiow controlling means to distribute the thrust exerted by water in the conduit on the semi-circumferential portion of the nozzle to ground, so as to prevent whipping of the nozzle and tilting and overturning of the same when the nozzle is left to rest in an area for discharging a solid curtain wall of water, free of an attendant to maintain the vertical slot in a position for discharge of the water as a wall in the path of flame and burning gas to prevent spreading of the latter.

2. A manually portable whip-free fire hose nozzle adapted to be set and left to rest at will in different stationary areas, whereby a solid curtain of water can be established in the path of flame and burning gases, to prevent spreading of flame, sparks, and ignition heat to surrounding areas comprising, in combination: a tubular body having a hose coupling member on one extremity for inlet of water; a spreader plate disposed transversely across all of the other extremity of the tubular body and extending beyond the perimeter of the body; an outwardly open vertical slot between the spreader plate and the adjacent end of the upper half of the circumferential Wall of the tubular body; a semi-circumferential portion extending the lower half of the circumferential wall of the A. tubular body outwardly under the slot to the spreader plate, to divert the flow of liquid from the lower half of the end of the body and the spreader plate upwardly out through the slot; a collar in screw threaded relation with said outher extremity of the tubular body and with the semi-circumferential portion at that end of the body for adjustment of the collar across the vertical slot, toward and from the spreader plate, to increase and decrease the flow of water out of said slot; and a base member for supporting the nozzle in a state of rest, at different stationary areas at will, said base member comprising a vertical part disposed across the bottom of the spreader plate, below the collar on the tubular body, and on the side of the spreader plate opposite the side to which the semicircumferential member extends, and a horizontal part extending under the bottom of the spreader plate and back under the collar on the tubular conduit, at a spaced distance therefrom, to permit rotation of the collar on its screw threads by hand, said vertical and horizontal parts of the base member projecting beyond the lateral extremities of the spreader plate and collar, to distribute the thrust exerted by water in the conduit on the semi-circumferential portion of the nozzle to ground, so as to prevent whipping of the nozzle and tilting and overturning of the same when the nozzle is left to rest in an area for discharging a solid curtain wall of water, free of an attendant to maintain the vertical slot in a position for discharge of the water as a wall in the path of flame and burning gas to prevent spreading of the latter.

3. A nozzle as claimed in claim 2, and which includes a portion for deflecting at said other extremity of the tubular member which portion is curved inwardly from the inner circumference of the lower half of the tubular member, at a region in advance of the vertical slot, to a region closer to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member at the slot.

4. A nozzle as claimed in claim 2, and in which the upper extremity of said semi-circumferential portion terminates in a plane in parallelism with the plane of the horizontal axis of the tubular member, for distributing the water from the slot in the form of a full half moon semi-circular fan wall of water.

5. A nozzle as claimed in claim 2, and in which the base member comprises an angle iron provided with eyelets at the opposite ends of the vertical part for grasping and pulling by a firemans hook, the vertical part is removably secured to the spreader plate, and the spreader plate is a separate part from the semi-circumferential member removably secured thereto, the semi-circumferential member is an integral part of the tubular member, and the vertical slot is constituted of a cut out part of the upper half of the tubular member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,353 Kromer Sept. 3, 1957 2,760,817 Novak Aug. 28, 1956 2,956,751 Burque et al Oct 18, 1960 

